Best Interest of the Child Standards in Michigan
The Michigan Child Custody Act looks at the following and more when trying to determine the best interest of a child:
- The emotional ties between a child and parent.
- The ability of each parent to provide love, affection and be a positive role-model in a child’s upbringing.
- The ability of each parent to provide shelter, food, clothing and medical care.
- Which parent remains in the family home.
- The mental and physical well-being
- The preference of a child if they are mature enough to convey their wishes.
Other factors are taken into consideration under the Michigan Child Custody Act of 1970. You can also learn more about those standards by speaking with a child custody lawyer in Michigan.
Who Decides Child Custody?
Under Michigan law, parents have the option of deciding child custody independent of the family court. If you and your spouse can work together, our child custody lawyers recommend you determine child custody and visitation outside the court. Doing this will give parents more control over their time and the time they get to spend with their child. Family courts prefer when couples come up without the interference of a court since no one is better suited to address the needs of a child than their parents.
When a couple cannot agree, the family court will step in and award custody, but this puts both parents at the mercy of a judge, and they may not be happy with the outcome. If you and your estranged spouse or partner are having trouble negotiating child custody or visitation, let USAttorneys connect you with a child custody lawyer in Michigan. Call and set up a case evaluation today.
